Chapter 03 - Meeting the Neighbours
Your mind wandered through the infinite possibilities of disguises you could create for yourself. There were so many things to consider! Your pony race, eye color, magic color, and even your cutie mark! Overwhelmed by the pressure, you decided to go to the library, maybe there was something that might help you.
As your eyes jumped from book to book of the ancient and extensive collection, you tried to organize your thoughts so you could more easily decide your fate.
Since I’m living in a forest, should I become an earth pony? You thought, looking at the natural beauty of the Everfree Forest through the window.
That doesn’t explain why I live in a ruin though… Plus, I want to be able to fly, or use magic, you countered. A unicorn then, maybe I could be a sorceress or something.
But then, another problem came to your mind. What if somepony wants to visit me here?
Trying to think of an excuse, your mind returned to the thousands of books residing on the library’s shelves. Maybe I could be a hermit? An old mare trying to escape the busy life on the big city? Certainly nopony would want to disturb the peace of an old lady, right?
Flipping through the pages of an open book resting on the table, a chapter title caught your attention. “Equestria’s most mysterious legends and enigmas”
Enigma…
The pieces fit together like a puzzle. A great sense of pride filled your mind as your very own pony form was starting to take shape.
How should I look? I don’t know if I would ever reveal myself to the ponies, but if I do, it would be easier if I already looked a bit familiar, you pondered. Charging your horn with magic, a circle of green flames burned away your old image as it gave way to your new persona.
Your holed, black and iridescent carapace was replaced by dark grey fur. Your twisted horn straightened and shrank to that of a normal unicorn, your iridescent mane turning silvery white. A few wrinkles creased your cheeks and snout, turning you into a wizened, yet regal old lady. Your appearance transmitted an idea of wisdom and experience, kindness and strong will, all the qualities you wished to harness as the queen of your new hive.
Shapeshifting a pair of saddlebags, you took the book that inspired you with you, it might be useful during your visit. Adding one last touch, a cutie mark of a grimoire and quill decorated your old flanks, completing your disguise.
Time to meet the neighbors.
As you ventured deeper into the Everfree Forest, you found it difficult to focus on the task at hoof with all the wonderful sights and sounds of its inhabitants. As a changeling, you were born into the hivemind, and through this shared consciousness, you learned anything and everything you needed to know about the hive, your fellow changelings, and the world that awaited you. But now that you’ve been severed from the hivemind, you had to discover the world through your own senses. It may be a bit overwhelming, but it was an amazing prospect nonetheless.
You continued down the path toward Ponyville, your thoughts flying like the birds, whose songs guided your path. I’m glad I chose Ponyville as my new hive’s location, besides the fact that the old castle provided the infrastructure on which to build the hive right away, this forest is lovely!
Your wandering stride was interrupted by a sudden, bright flash of orange and red hitting your eyes, blinding and dazing you. You could hear a majestic screech as a mysterious bird flew past you toward the east.
What in the Mother’s name was that? Curious, you decided to follow the creature.
As you followed the periodic cries of the bird, you eventually found what appeared to be a clearing just ahead. As you passed the last conglomerate of trees, your mouth fell agape at the sight before you. The clearing led into a gorgeous oasis: the carpet of grass was dotted with a whole rainbow of flowers. A small grotto housed a river source that fed into a pool a little down below. As you followed the water flow, you found dozens of animals drinking and bathing in the water together. Rabbits, foxes, bears, even a cockatrice, all of then offered a moment of truce to enjoy it.
Another cry snapped you out of your haze as a magnificent phoenix nested itself on the rocks on top of the grotto.
“This is incredible…” you muttered, getting a bit surprised at the sound of your new voice. It sounded a bit husky, but also calming and caring, like an older version of your Queen’s voice.
You were about to test the water when you caught a glimpse of a sudden movement from the corner of your eye. A giant purple serpent with orange mane and mustache surfaced from the deeper portions of the pool, frightening you. You charged you horn with a purple aura, ready to defend yourself, but were caught off guard when the creature suddenly spoke to you.
“Oh, pardon me, miss, I’m sorry I spooked you,” the serpent said politely. “I’m Steven Magnet the sea serpent, what’s your name, dear?’
“I-I’m Enigma.”
“Excuse my rudeness, but, what is an old lady like you doing so deep in the Everfree Forest?”
“I-I was walking by a-and…” you stammered, the gears of your mind still trying to get back on the rails.
“You walked all the way here?! Oh dear, you must be exhausted! Please come in in the water, it’ll help you rest,” the serpent interrupted you, beckoning you to sit at the edge of the pool.
Following his instructions, you took off your saddlebags and sat near him at the edge of the pool, placing your hind legs into the water. The coolness surely is pleasant on your coat, suddenly, you feel the stress put on your joints after minutes of walking slowly disappear. Curious, you went deeper into the water until it reached your neck. Sure enough, your whole body began to feel numb, and then revitalized, like the water was washing your exhaustion away down the river.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” Steven asked, diving into the water himself. “This river source has incredible healing effects, wounded creatures from these woods come here all the time to heal and rest peacefully,” he explained. “They respect this place as a safe ground, so you don’t need to worry about predators.”
As you processed his words, you couldn't stop wondering why he was bathing in the pool. “Why are you here, then? Are you hurt?”
The serpent laughed. “Me? Oh no, darling. You see, these waters do wonders for my complexion! It’s not easy to keep these scales so shiny and gorgeous, you know?” Steven winked at the end, making you giggle.
Examining you closer, the serpent continued, “Oh, you do know what I’m talking about, look at you! Your body is so slender and elegant, your fur looks simply divine! I bet you used to be a supermodel when you were younger!”
You blushed at his compliment. Changeling Queens were naturally taller than normal changelings, and consequently, ponies. Since you built your persona based on your own body, these traits carried over and made you retail your regal shape.
“I used to be a sorceress, actually,” you corrected him, waving a hoof dismissively.
“Really? How interesting, tell me about it,” he said, leaning forward to rest on his elbows.
“Well, I used to live in Manehattan. I was a scholar at the at the Academy of Ancient Magic and Arcane Studies, I loved to research ancient legends and magic. But as I was getting older, I grew tired of the life in the big city, so I began traveling the world as a hermit, researching the myths and legends of the places I visited,” you told him, proud of the story you made for your persona.
“I know what you mean, life in the big city is so stressful! It was a good thing you decided to leave, all that stress would completely ruin your soft mane.” The serpent shivered at the thought, caressing his mane like it was his beloved child.
His child! You must get to Ponyville quickly if you want to get back in time to help your changelings hatch!
Getting out of the water, you shook off the excess water and strapped your saddlebags back on. “I’m really sorry, but I must reach Ponyville as soon as I can.”
“That’s perfectly fine, it was a pleasure!” The serpent waved his goodbye. “Oh, be careful about Timberwolves! Their numbers have grown these last few weeks!”
Nodding, you took your leave.
The sun was almost at its peak so it was still early in the morning. If I keep this pace, I’ll be able to reach Ponyville and get back in time for my changelings to hatch.
As you walked down a denser part of the forest, the heavy tree coverage obscured your path, it was almost like you were walking at night. Thinking back to the discovery of the oasis and how your hive could take advantage of it, a wandering thought crossed your mind. It would be nice to have that oasis annexed to the hive, how cool would it be to be able to relax in the cold water while birds sang all around you…
As you thought about it, you began to miss the songs of the birds, in fact, this part of the forest was completely silent. Too silent…
A freezing chill ran down your spine as you heard the rattling sound of wood hitting wood behind you. Turning around, you saw six pairs of menacing glowing eyes leering at you behind the trees. As they approached you, the eyes proved to belong to wolf-like golems made of wood, like the forest itself had risen to hunt you.
Timberwolves!
You ran as fast as you could, even though your apparent form may have been an old lady, you still had the strength and endurance of a Changeling Queen. A newly born Changeling Queen…
Letting out a deathly howl, the Timberwolves chased you. Their sharp claws dug into the dirt, giving them a better grip so they could launch themselves forward. The pack neared you with the speed of a lightning bolt. Dividing their numbers into two groups of three, they surrounded you from both sides.
Two Timberwolves, one from each side, pounced on you. You managed to skid to a halt, making the two monsters crash into each other, disassembling into hundreds of pieces. Jumping over the pile of wood, you ran again.
Your mind filled with dread as the two Timberwolves assembled again and resumed their chase. How do I get rid of these things?! You panicked.
Distracted, a Timberwolf managed to hit you in the face, leaving a nasty claw mark on your left cheek, making you tumble over. Two other Timberwolves tried to bite you while you were down, but you quickly charged your horn with magic and shot them down.
You backed yourself against a tree, dropping in a defensive position as you awaited your next attacker. The Timberwolves retreated behind the dense tree line. They were gone!
As you searched frantically for any sign of them, you heard a stick snap right next to you. Dodging the incoming attack, a Timberwolf pounced right on top of you, missing by a few inches. Without giving it time to maneuver, you shot the Timberwolf, disassembling it.
The fourth Timberwolf charged you head on, pointy teeth aiming at your throat. You raised your legs to protect yourself. The Timberwolf bit deep into your leg, the sharp pain clouded your mind, dissipating your magic.
The last two Timberwolves pounced on you. Everything seemed lost, all the changelings that depended on you… your Queen…
Suddenly, the Timberwolf let go of your leg, the whole pack running away with their tail between their legs. Your vision was getting blurry, the deep gash on your leg losing too much blood. You dropped to the floor. As you were about to faint, you heard a weird chanting beside you, trying to identify its origin, you drag your head toward it. A creepy looking wooden mask was the last thing you saw before everything faded away.
You woke up with a pleasing scent of incense gracing your nostrils. Your head pounded like you’ve been beaten to death, and you almost was. Raising a hoof to your head, you noticed that your disguise was still active. You shot up straight, remembering the previous events as your charged your horn with magic.
Searching your surroundings for the weird masked creature, you noticed that you were in some kind of a wooden hut. There were countless potions and herbs on shelves carved into the walls. A huge iron cauldron stood in the middle of the room. A full set of alchemical tubes and vessels sat on a workbench beside the bed you were at.
You heard the clip-clop of hooves coming down a set of stairs on your right. “Ah, you’re awake, I hope my potion has cured your ache,” a striped, black and white earth pony said. She wore some really exotic golden jewelry and a high mohawk that almost touched the ceiling as she walked downstairs.
You checked your bitten leg for the injury. It was wrapped in gauze and felt really numb, maybe that was the effect of the potion she talked about? You didn’t really know, and after that whole ordeal with the Timberwolves, you didn’t want to take any chances.
The mare noticed your defensive posture and reassured you, “No need to worry, your wounds will be healed, though your mind might be a little blurry.”
Her rhyming was really throwing you off, maybe she wasn’t a pony?
“Is this Ponyville?” you asked the strange mare.
“No, you’re in my hut in the Everfree, you’re lucky I was harvesting some herbs, or this conversation would never be,” the mare said, smiling.
“Yeah, thanks for that.” Curious, you decided to find more about your exotic savior. “So, you live here alone?”
“Yes, indeed, though some ponies from Ponyville come seeking me when they’re in need,” the mare replied, searching for something on the workbench. “Oh, I forgot it upstairs,” she mumbled. Climbing the stairs, she continued, “I have a trinket for you, it’s very useful, and I have some spares.”
A couple of minutes have passed while the mare searched for her “trinket”. During this time, you pondered on how to proceed.
She lives alone in the woods… she would be an easy target. I don’t know what she’s capable off, and I don’t feel comfortable having her near my hive. The thought was tempting, you could capture her to feed your changelings, or simply drain her dry and replace her with a drone of your own…
You direct your attention to her potion-filled shelves. Or maybe I could just grab some stuff and leave…
But she helped me with the Timberwolves and healed me after. She could prove to be a powerful ally, maybe even a friend… Your inner debate was interrupted as a torrent of thoughts and voices invaded your mind, the sudden intrusion was so violent that almost made you fall out of bed.
My Queen, can you hear us?! the voices asked in unison. Despite never hearing these voices before, you instantly knew who they were.
My drones?
Yes, my Queen, we have been awakened early due to your distress, and our forces are composed of two gatherer units, one warrior unit and one worker unit. We’re sending the warrior unit to your aid! the changeling replied, fearing for its queen’s safety.
It’s not necessary, my child, I’m okay, you reassured it, to no avail.
Are you certain?
Yes, no need to worry.
In that case, what is your command, my Queen?
Alright, chapter 3! Today I bring to you an exact fuck ton of new choices to make and a new mechanic for the remainder of the story: The Hivemind!
From now on, each chapter will be divided into two parts: The Queen part and the Hive part; As the queen of the changelings, Enigma can use the hivemind to project herself as a spectator of what her changelings are seeing, hearing and sensing! So every chapter will have her own actions and the actions of the hive!
Ok, now for the choices!
For the Queen:
1) Steal a random potion from Zecora and flee. (-5 Anonymity/ -1 Ponyville Reputation/ +1 Random Potion)
2) Capture Zecora and bring her to the hive. (+2 Love Supply/ Risk of Escape: 30% [-25 Anonymity & -5 Ponyville Reputation])
3) Replace Zecora. (+1 Love Supply/ Risk of Being Discovered: 15% [-10 Anonymity]/ Magic boost for the Queen)
4) Befriend Zecora. (+1 Trinket/ +1 Ponyville Reputation/ Potential friendship [+1Love Supply])
(PS: Reputation goes from -10 [hated] to +10 [loved], depending on your score, your persona will be able to gather passive love from your friends or it may be seen as evil, increasing the rate of anonymity lost)
For the Hive:
Gatherers:
1) Gather passive love in Ponyville. (+5 Love Supply-per unit/ Risk of Being Discovered: 25% [-5 Anonymity-per single changeling/ Danger: 15% [-15% with support])
2) Gather passive love in nearby settlements. (+2 Love Supply-per unit/ Risk of Being Discovered: 35% [-1 Anonymity-per single changeling/ Danger: 60% [-20% with support])
3) Assist workers. (Increase the rate of successfulness of worker activities)
Workers:
1) Build Hatchery. (Unlocks the advanced unit: Caretaker [healer]/ Increase the number of eggs-per egg cluster)
2) Build Arcanium. (Unlock new spells for the Queen/ Unlocks the advanced unit: Sorcerer [support])
3) Build Barrack. (Unlock the advanced unit: Guardian [fighter]/ Slowly heals warriors)
4) Build Slime Pit. (Unlock the advanced unit: Hivekeeper [defense]/ Increase hive structural integrity)
5) Build Covert Network. (Unlock the advanced unit: Spectre [espionage]/ Can recover Anonymity)
6) Build Gene Pool. (Unlock the advanced unit: Geneshifter [researcher]/ Unlock drone upgrades)
7) Build Reinforced Hive Annex. (Lockout a nearby area and add it's benefits for the hive/ successfulness rate: 25% [+15% with support])
8) Build Hidden Hive Annex. (Add the benefits of a nearby area without raising its defenses or lowering Anonymity/ successfulness rate: 50% [+25% with support])
Warriors:
1) Protect the hive. (Provide support for the workers in case of enemy attack or integrity catastrophy) [sucessfulness rate: 75%]
2) Ward off threats around the hive. (Provide a safer place for gatherers and workers to act outside the hive) [successfulness rate: 50%]
3) Secure an area outside the hive. (Secures an area for a future expansion of the hive)
[successfulness rate: 25%]
4) Assist Workers. (Increase the rate of successfulness of worker activities)
5) Assist Gatherers. (Decreases the level of danger of gatherer activities)
That's it! Now the real game begins! I hope your 4x game skills are sharp 
If you'd like to create a changeling for the story, learn about the game rules and mechanics or check all the details about the character's statistics, you can find all of it within the Support Page! We even have a discord server!
I hope you like the chapter!
Leave your votes in the comments below! I can't wait to see where you'll take the story! 
Next chapter should be up sooner-ish...
-A.M.
Chapter edited by: EverfreePony
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Queen: befriend zecora
Long term this is better due to the possibility of a healer for the hive if the queen needs it. It might also be possible to ask her to teach the hive what plants are bad and what are good. This way we gain a supply of healing salves and medicine. Also we stand to gain access to poisons if we need to off someone quietly.
For the hive:
Send one unit of gatherers to harvest passive love in Ponyville. Have the second one assist.
Build a hatchery with workers. Protect the hive with warriors.
Queen choice is easy: 4 (befriend Zecora) {There is gain at no cost and no risk}
Gatherer choice: 2x1 (2 units gather passive love in ponyville) {To increase the likelyhood at least 1 unit is inserted successfully}
Worker choice: 1x5 (build covert network) {considering the likelyhood of at least 1 of the gatherer units being discovered is ~44%, the hive needs a way to recover animosity}
Warrior choice: 1x5 (1 unit assists the gatherers) {can't risk danger above 7% with such low numbers}
But now for questions:
1. I assume danger and discovery rolls occur once per chapter[per unit if applicable], unless the activity is not repeated
2. Wasn't animosity called anonymity in chapter 1? Or are those two different stats?
question to the GM, when assigning changelings from the Hive is this on an individual bases so we could assign 1 gatherer to pony-vile and 9 to other settlements or is it done in units of 5? if it is the first one I can see it becoming very complicated in terms of votes as well as it not making it much sense with the building portion as having one changeling somehow building or defending an entire hive on its own seems a bit silly.
It may be best to change these resources to units of 5 so we would have Changelings (units): 2 Gatherers/ 1 Workers/ 1 Warriors which makes a bit more sense.
8722829
I agree with all that, except possibly sending the second group of gatherers to Ponyville, and the protecting the hive. The risk of being discovered is 25% after all, and if all 10 were discovered, that would be a LOT of animosity gained.
I would at least send the warriors to assist the gatherers and reduce the risk of discovery. Not much of the Everfree fauna go near the Castle of Two Sisters, which is now our hive, so it would be relatively safeish.
8722847
True. I guess the plan needs adjusting then. We'll adjust it as you say.
I think you should clarify how animosity and reputation affect the Hive and the Queen depending on the value of each (and the difference between them). Same think for danger and discovery chance.
Also, animosity is a bit confusing, since it's by nature a world with negative connotations, one would think that having less of it would be a good thing (since less animosity means more friendliness). Thus, you mind want to turn that slider around.
Anyway.
1)Befriending Zecora is a no brainer, since it's the only choice without negative effects and without the potential to yield absolutely nothing.
2)1 Gatherer in Ponyville, the rest Assist. No point being greedy and risking discovery by overbudgeting on harvest, we need to tech up and grab upgrades to gather effectively. (the second gather option is utterly useless, nearly no gain for too hight of a risk, too many negative effects to be worthwhile)
3)Build Gene Pool, we need those upgrades.
4)Protect the Hive, no need to waste any warrior on low chances while we are still small, can't afford being defenseless.
8722840
That's correct, each chapter I'll roll a 100 side die to see if the action will be sucessfull or not
Yes it was
fixed*
8722843
That's how it is, actually. A "Unit" is composed of 5 changeligs, to make it easier to manage during votes.
However, some effects, like love collecting, is affected by every single changeling, 'cuz some of them might die during their mission
8722852
Well, anonymity was explained on chapter one, I'll try to clarify the reputation system on this chapter.
Edit* There, I added a short explanationf of the reputation effects, I hope it helps
It was suposed to be anonymity
it was a misspelling from my part... already fixed it 
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Thanks for the votes!
Queen:
1) But with a pinch of 2). Establish a trade with the zebra, giving her materials, while she makes potions for the hive.
HIVE:
Gatherers:
1) Unless the love can't be stored for a later date, in which case - abstain.
Workers:
1) Increase the numbers, and use the stored/gathered love to feed the newborns.
Warriors:
Difference between 2), 4) and 5)? No clue, but I suggest number 5) purely because I doubt the hatchery would be built outside the hive.
Command [Enter]
PS: You are not the only one who can play with colours.
8722860
Queen:Befriend Zecora
She would likely be willing to at least hear us out if we are discovered at a later date. It might be useful to have someone on our side like that.
Hive:
Have one unit of gatherers harvest love in Ponyville, with the second group assisting them.
Build a Gene Pool and have the warriors protect the workers.
Will any of our infiltrators or gatherers have the ability to create new identities?
Queen:Befriend Zecora
She would likely be willing to at least hear us out if we are discovered at a later date. It might be useful to have someone on our side like that.
Hive:
Have one unit of gatherers harvest love in Ponyville, with the second group assisting them.
Build a Gene Pool and have the warriors protect the workers.
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I am not sure how strict assistance is. The only assistance options the gatheres have is 3, assiting the workers, which would leave a unit of gatherers unable to assist another unit of gatherers.
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A unit of gatherers assisting another unit of gatheres would basicaly be 2 units of gatherers harvesting love
8722877
Good to know
8722879
Yes! In fact, you can create a changeling of your own here!
My queen, we should befriend the zebra. If we can't do that, we can always capture her later.
I will guard the workers. We need them to build, and they can't do that if their dying
8722942
Protect them well, my warrior. Their work must not be interrupted.
queen- befriend zecora
workers build hatchery
gatherers in ponyville (both groups)
warriors protect hive
Queen Side:
I choose Number 4, Befriend Zecora. We'll have a friend, plus, she can help us with her potions.
Hive Side:
Gatherers:
1) Gather passive love in Ponyville. This will help out our Gatherers gain rep for their Personas, and get some love. But send only 5 over, keep 5 to help out the workers.
Workers:
3) Build Barrack. This will allow us to heal anyone who has any injuries, and make an new unite.
Warriors:
1) Protect the hive. best what we can right now.
Question:
1.Will you need any OCs outside the hive?
That all for the questions for now...
At the summary:
Shouldn't it be Your Archqueen?
Queen: Befriend Zecora.
no need to make enemies so soon since we've got the resources to spare.
Gatherers:
Gather passive love
Worker:
Build gene pool
Warriors:
Have one protect the hive while the other assists the gatherers.
8723060
fixed
Thanks
8723050
Well, there will be a lot of other hives beside our own, but as far os not-changelings go, I don't think I'll be using any OCs... It might change in the future tho
8723118
Got it, good to know.
Er...
Queen: Befriend Zecora. She'll come in handy when venturing out into the Everfree Forest.
Hive:
Gatherers: Gather passive from Ponyville. Let's begin stocking up on love energy. The way to beat a famine is to prepare for one.
Workers: Build Arcanium. More spells for the Queen will come in handy, as well as some support roles. Having Sorcerers will make it easier to blend in with Unicorns and Ponyville in general. Perhaps have them take jobs?
Warriors: Assist the Gatherers.
Voting:
Queen
Gatherers
Workers
Warriors
Oh dear, this implies conflict with other civs! Here is hoping the mix of RPG and 4X is more like X:Rebirth rather than X:COM!!!
What is the difference between danger percentage and successfullness rate, and are they rolled in sequence or independantly?
Voting
Queen: Befriend Zecora. It is a logical choice because if we are by chance ever discovered it would be an asset to have her with us
Gatherers: Gather Passive love from Ponyville with the help of warriors. This is a logical choice because Love is needed to feed future drones, which for now should take top priority so when the hive has enough room/other for more drones we can properly feed them.
Workers: Build Hatchery. It is the better option because the hive needs more drones to protect, gather, etc. The more drones, the more love the hive has, and the more upgrades we can more easily achieve.
Warriors: Assist Gatherers
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My guess is this:
failing a success roll means the desired the result is not achieved
failing a danger roll results in injury/death for the rolling party
passing a success roll, but failing a danger roll consequently means the rolling party is injured/killed, but still completes the task assigned.
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Yeah... fixed it
8723165
Successfulness is the chance managing to do the designated task, while danger is the chance of a hostile entity to attack your drones
As for they'll be rolled; they'll be rolled independantly
8723263
Yeah, something like that
Queen
Befriend Zecora. At current stage we can use any support. And we can not afford new enemies.
Gatherers
Gather love in Ponyville. We need their love to increase our numbers.
Workers
Build Gene Pool. We need these upgrades yesterday.
Warriors
Protect the Hive. We can not afford any losses.
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Thanks for voting!
8723317
It shall be done
Also a small question. What is the specialization of our Queen, and will she have one at all?
I vote for
Queen be friend Zecora she isn't on to us so we are in the clear.
For the Hive (base)
Gathers - Have both Gathers start collecting love in Ponyvile
Workers - Build a hatchery we need Healers in case things go bad and also to heal our Queen.
Warriors - Protect the hive from rush attacks.
To the fellow members of the hivemind:
A couple of us seem to want to acquire healing, but allow me to point out, we already have that front covered with the spring the queen found in the Everfree forest. It is not fully secured yet, but it should be secure enough for now, and if I am not wrong the hive can annex it soon without much risk.
Healing is not yet a major concern for us, as we don't know of any hostile intelligence that is aware of us, and only the queen has taken damage so far, and she is already being treated, although not by a member of the hive.
Queen: befriend zecora
Gatherers: get love in pony vill
Workers: build Hachery
Warriors: assist the Gatherers
8723331
The Queen doesn't have a "specialization" or brood lkke the cicada changelings or spider changelings. She'll be able to aquire the genetic blurprint to produce special units such as those in the future.
As for her changing into one herself... its a secret ;)
Queen:
Befriend Zecora.The true power of this choice is the possibility of gaining a teacher of healing and alchemy ,everything else is just a bonus.Also,there is a small chance that a healer like Zecora already knows the true species of the queen,which can potentially make her a trusted ally in the future.
Hive:
Gatherers: gather passive love in Ponyville. Time to get some love to get things started.
Workers:Build Arcanium. Researching buff spells can make everything much easier.
Warriors:Ward off threats around the hive.
Queen:
Befriend Zecora, no question about it. We could replace her, but an ally this early will be useful for later as well, I feel. If we befriend her, there's no future risk if we're looking to procure one of her potions.
Gatherers:
Set one team to assist the workers and another to start gathering love in Ponyville.
Workers:
Build additional pylonsHmm, I'm torn between constructing a gene pool or a hatchery. Do we want economy or research first? I suppose research isn't essential just yet, so have them build a hatchery.Warriors:
The Everfree is relatively dangerous, so it'd be best if we have them helping out the one group of gatherers by clearing the area around the hive.
As a side note, I'm not entirely sure if the word 'animosity' is the correct one. Did you perhaps mean 'anonymity'?
Befriend Zecora. Befriending ponies (and zebras) instead of replacing or kidnapping them will keep ponies from noticing your hive. Our hive needs to grow, and all of us being killed off or permanently imprisoned by the Royal Guard is not conductive to that (not to mention we do not know how good this Zecora is at fighting). Plus, there's the positive benefit of being able to passively gather their love for free. The ponies speak of friendship, and passive gathering will gain us friends and allies. If we stick to this course, even if we are discovered, our chances of being able to co-exist peacefully will increase.
As my character Black Star is a Warrior, I'd advise warding off threats outside the hive. You are in the middle of the Everfree Forest and, due to the strange conditions there, ponies are less likely to notice you chasing off/killing predators or other animals.
If it's not outside my role as a warrior, I'd also ask, regarding the gatherers, that you set them to gather passive love in Ponyville, as it seems to have the highest reward for the least risk.
And also, I'd advise sending the gatherers to construct a hatchery. We'll will need more changelings if our hive is to become successful, though a barracks (please forgive me if I sound like I am tooting my literal tiny curved horn here) would also be, in my opinion, a great second choice, given the sheer numbers of predators - including the timberwolves you have just fought - present, and the need for your civilian units (i.e anything not a military unit) to be able to work in relative safety. The need to heal warriors injured in battles will also be met by this basic building. Again, though, I'd advise a hatchery as Plan A.
(Outside of role-playing for a minute); Are those changelings who hatched early weaker than those who will hatch at normal times? This line worries me slightly;
This chapter was great
May God go with you.
Befriend Zecora, simpler to have her on your side plus when the hive gets bigger you can trade herbs to her for potions.
Both gatherer units send to Ponyville safer to and more supply. Plus can meet ponies and Mane six and show not all Changelings are like Chrysas.
Worker unit build hatchery more units at this time the better.
Warriors stay at the hive to protect it and help the workers if they need it.
My Queen
I would advise to stay on the rhyming ponies side ....
...
Are you sure about this? ... Oh ok...
Ahem... Please forgive me my Queen... Apparently the rhyming pony is a rhyming zebra ...
Whatever she is doing this far away from her home...
Yeah so we don't know enough to replace her. Also we don't have the capabilities to accommodate a prisoner in this early state of our hive.
I would say keep her as a friend for now, learn about her and replace or abduct her if we have to, when the hive is ready but for now make her our friend...
Our hive needs more... Of everything. We need more workers, infiltrators, gatherers etc... We should make a hatchery a top priority
I don't see much danger to the hive, alone on the basis of nopony knows we're here so I would say make two warriors protect the hive and use the rest to support the workers.
Also love, we need more love... Please deploy gatherers to Ponyville to harvest passive love.
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Filthy protoss
Yup, that was a misspelling of my part. Already fixed it
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Kind off. As of next chapter, every changeling unit will gain exp as they complete assigments. The thing is, nornaly a changeling unit would start at level 1, however, due to their not so smooth awakening, they'll start at level 0
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
With you as well!
Going scouting the area alone without a bodyguards or a information about the area and it's inhabitants was kinda a suicidal act, my queen.
Befriend Zecora obviously. You finally got someone, who know the terrain of Everfree Forest and is a friend of the ponies to establish the first contact. ( And not to mentioning about saving your skin. )
This will provide strategic interest for your the growing hive.